SAMO (“Same Old Shit”)

SAMO is the name Jean-Michel Basquiat formerly used, whose meaning reaches the diary through Keith Haring’s explanation. The phrase gives the name a blunt, compressed force, while the entry connects it to Basquiat’s influence on younger artists.

Meaning and Attribution

On August 20, 1984, Warhol recorded that Keith Haring told him SAMO stood for “Same Old Shit,” and described Basquiat as the biggest influence on the new artists. The explanation is presented as Haring’s account, not as a direct statement from Basquiat.

Context in the Diary

The name comes up as Warhol reflects on Basquiat’s growing standing: Basquiat was in Ibiza and then Majorca, and Warhol called him the new darling of Bruno (art dealer)’s circle. In the same entry, Warhol worries that Basquiat might one day reject the paintings they had made together. SAMO therefore appears in a moment that places Basquiat’s earlier identity beside his rising artistic influence and his collaboration with Warhol.